My Cart
Your Shopping Cart is Empty
Cuenca, Ecuador — South America Overland Guide
|
posted by Chris Vasquez
Drive from Riobamba: approximately 4.5–5 hrs. Continue down Ecuador’s spine through rolling Andean plateaus and winding mountain roads to Cuenca. This stage is designed around the expedition rule that we never ask the driver—or our 2001 Toyota Land Cruiser 100 Series—to grind through more than six hours of actual driving in a day. The reward at Cuenca is Cuenca’s historic center, Cajas National Park and the Tomebamba River. The route itself is part of the story: we are watching South America change through the windshield rather than flying over the difficult pieces.
Adventure & stay: Hike among Cajas lakes, walk the colonial core and slow the pace with a proper dinner and spa afternoon. Our preferred stay is Hotel Cruz del Vado. A luxury heritage hotel in the historic center with strong local character and walkability. The idea is never luxury for luxury’s sake; it is recovery that lets us get back outside the next morning. A real bed, a hot shower, a spa or a good meal can be just as important to a long overland expedition as another night under canvas.
Land Cruiser check & daily equipment: Inspect brake pads and fluid after repeated descents, check steering joints and examine tires for sidewall bruising. For this leg we want light hiking pack, waterproof layers, trekking shoes, brake cleaner and a spare wheel-bearing service kit if the truck is carrying high mileage. The 100 Series is being used exactly as Toyota intended—quiet and comfortable on pavement, full-time four-wheel drive ready when the road turns to gravel, and mechanically conservative enough that preventative checks remain more important than dramatic modifications. We leave Cuenca only when both the crew and the truck are ready.
0 comments